The stricken Transocean Winner oil rig is to be moved closer to Stornoway before its final voyage to a Turkish scrapyard.
The salvaged platform is temporarily at anchor in Broad Bay in Lewis after being pulled off rocks in Dalmore on the west coast of the island.
In the next fortnight or so the 17,600 tonne structure is to be transferred onto the deck of a heavy lift ship and taken 10 miles south to Stornoway.
When located at an anchorage at the back of Arnish lighthouse, just outside harbour limits, the rig will be welded on the deck of the 65,000 tonne vessel, the Hawk, Hugh Shaw, the UK Government's salvage advisor, told Hebrides News.
The welding operation is expected to take up to a week and then the rig will start its voyage to the Mediterranean.
The 33-
Some 25 bottom tanks are badly gashed and flooded with seawater after the collision with jagged rocks.
After a refloating operation three weeks ago, two large tugs towed the listing rig 54 miles to a safe anchorage in Broad Bay on the other side of the island.
Pumping a constant flow of compressed air into the damaged compartments to force out seawater is the only thing presently preventing the oil rig from sinking.
Representatives from the Hawk’s owners, Offshore Heavy Lift, were on Lewis earlier this month to assess the extent of damage to the rig.
By late September, the Transocean Winner will be floated onto the semi-
Then the rig is expected to be towed into deeper water two miles north of its present position at Broad Bay, said Mr Shaw.
When the weather is suitable -
The rig will then be gently floated onboard and the ship will rise out of the water.
Two large underwater robots remotely operated from another ship, the Island Constructer, will cut off a thruster protruding more than three metres under the rig’s legs. The remains of a second thruster unit torn away during the refloating will also be levelled off.
► Public meeting over oil rig's departure
The Hawk transports oil rigs across the world
Offshore Heavy Transport AS
Stricken oil rig moving to Stornoway before final farewell
12 September 2016